Contact-making device



1927. 1,638,517 Aug 9 F. c. BAUER CONTACT MAKING DEVICE Filed Aug. 13, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ilater-aai Aug. 9, 1927.

UNITED STAT-Es PATENT OFFICE.

FRED C. BAUER, OF IRVINGTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO BAUER DEVICES INC.,

i 'A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

l, CONTACT-MAKING DEVICE.

Application led August/13, 1925. Serial No. 49,944.

This invention is designed to provide a device for successively spelling out letters or words'on electric signs or to produce other lighting effects in succession, the device being compact and having a series of lighting contacts which are fixed' and which are placed in `contact, with a liquid in a receptacle, the height of the liquid being con` trolled by a magnetically operated mecha' nism.

The invention also resides in certain deure 4is a section on line 4 4 in Figure 1v and Figure 5 is a diagrammatic viewofthe electrical circuits as they are attached to the device. The device is illustrated as mounted on a support comprising a base 10 and an upright 11. The magnet 12 is the means of operation and is controlled by a make and break device which comprises a contact 13 and a pivoted arm 14 which arm has one end 15 `te engage the contact andthe other end bifurcated to form two projections 16 and 17. The electrical connections in this circuit will be evident from an inspection of` Figure 5.

The magnet 12, when energized, pulls up on the rod 18 and this rod acts on the lever '19 and this lever is, hinged at one end to u the support and atthe other end to the arm 20.

On the lever 19 is a pin 21 which is under the piston 22 of the cylinder 23. The cylinder has a check valve 24 at the top and a small hole 25 is disposed at the proper place' `to act as a vent. When l the piston is snapped up the flange 26 hits the point 16 and breaks the contact betweenthe end,15

of the lever and the contact 13. 4The arm 14 tstight enough on its pivot to remain in any position in which it is at rest. The piston is hea enough to positively descend and deseen s slowly because of the reduc/ tion of pressure at its upper end until its upper end clears the vent 25 and then it -drops quickly and strikes the end 17'of the arm 14 and forces the end 15 of the arm into Contact with the contact 13 and closes the magnet circuit. This again energizes the magnet, the rod 18 is pushed quickly upward and the operation is repeated.

The contact making mechanism is arranged in the lighting circuit and comprises a receptacle 27 which has the contact rods 28 suspended in it usually by securing their upper ends to the lid 29, the upper ends of the contact rodsforming binding posts 30. In the receptacle 27 is a quantity of mercury 31a, deep enough to contact at all times with one of the contact arms28. The other arms 28 are of various lengths and disposed so asto be successively placed in circuit as required by raising the level of the mercury.

This is done by a plunger 31 of large area and suspended on the end of a stem 32. The end of the stem is engagedby a cam 33 which is operated by a ratchet 34 and a pawl 35. The pawl 351s secured on a lever '36' pivoted to swing freely on a post 37 which also supports the cam and is connected by a -pin 38 with the lever 19. A pawl 39 prevents backward movement of tie cam.

It will be seen that I have thus devised y a step-by-step movement to have the cam 33 push down to force the plunger 31 lower and lower to force the level of the mercury upward and thus successively or selectively put the contacts 28 in circuit. These contacts, of course, are electrically connected to such elements as are to be lighted or otherwise level of the mercury returns to its lowest point.

To give the greatest possible area to the plunger or float 31, I provide it with grooves 40 in which the contacts 28 are disposed.

I claim: y

1. In a contact making device, a receptacle -containing a fluid contactl material, a

lunger in the receptacle and having grooves' 1n its sides, contacts arranged in said grooves, a lid on the receptacle to act as a bearing for the plunger and as a supporter of the contacts.

2.' A contact making device comprising a support, a receptacle and a magnet placed side by side on the support7 a lever and an arm opposed thereto, both pivoted to the support and in pivotal connection, a rod in the magnet and secured to the lever, a seb of contacts in the rece tacle and near the edge, a. plunger in At e receptacle with grooves to receive the contacts, mercury in thereceptacle, a connection for movin the plunger from the arm; a make and brea device or energizing the magnet, a. cylinder above the lever, and a piston in the cylinder to open the said make and break device the said device when it descends.

In testimony whereof I ax m si atue.

FRED C. A R.

when it s raised by the lever and to close 1 

